ON THE “HARAM-NESS” of CHRISTMAS GREETINGS and other RELATED FATWAS

It is fine for Muslims to greet others with “Assalamualikum” the more often the better for it simply means “peace be with you …” it is a good cultural experience to exchange greetings in different languages .. Salaam, Shaloom, Namaste, Neehow Ma, Wassup dude, Peace out my man, etc.

A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE

Dr Azly Rahman

Reading the global controversy surrounding the wishing of “Merry Christmas” by Muslims, I have decided to construct my own understanding of what the fatwa should be, touching on related matters that perhaps have been on the mind of those wishing to grasp a newer and fresher understanding of religious perspectives in opposition. I have therefore decided to issue my own philosophical fatwas grounded in phenomenology and pragmatism true to the nature of a hyper-modernizing and globalizing world we live in.  I invite a good and rational discussion on the edits produced.

FATWA #1:

noting wrong but everything is right in wishing others a “Merry Christmas and a Ho Ho Ho New Year” …makes it merrier and hearts warmer in a world of jihadis and crusaders trying to burn each others’ house of worship down in the name of each other’s god …

… AGAIN … MERRY CHRISTMAS FOLKS … DON’T LET RUDOLPH’S NOSE GROW REDDER and LONGER

FATWA #2:

true jihad in a multcultural multireligious world is to alleviate poverty, racism, ignorance, and violence regardless of race, religion, creed … the Muslims in this country have been living a selfish world in which there is a truncated believe that sedekah jariah and zakat should only be given to the poor of the Islamic faith .. leaving the abject poor of other races poorer and poorer … how much of the zakat money in this country has gone elsewhere but to help the poor ? wake up to a newer and better fatwa on social justice.

FATWA #3:

in a multicultural country such as Malaysia, it is not mandated nor is it necessary to have a Malay-Muslim as a prime minister …a good man or woman with good ethics, good stewardship and management skills with a good heart transcending barriers will do

… the country has not seen a good Muslim leader running the country anyway … it has seen ruins.

FATWA #4: …

the salutation “Salam 1Malaysia” now popularly used in public gatherings and public spheres should be forbidden/made haram not because it sounds cocky and cheeky but because it symbolizes hypocrisy of a political practice … untrue to the much needed sense of muticultural sincerity.

FATWA #5:

… it is perfectly fine for the word “Al-lah” to be used by Christians in Malaysia .. it simply means “the god” and has been used by Christians even before the emergence of Muhammad and the institutionalization of the religion called “Islam” .. what actually is the controversy? don’t the Muslims, Christians, and the Jews share the same “Allah'” anyway?.

FATWA #6: …

it is perfectly fine for Muslim women to wear or not to wear the hijab/head covering because virtue and personal ethics does not lie in identity politics and religious semiotics and that the idea of covering one’s head is still a matter of interpretation up to this day … one can wear or not wear based on one’s readiness to wear or not … no one can be judged of the degree of his/her piousness based on how skillful one is in perception management … if it is tempting for men that women should cover, then men should walk around covering their eyes … — would all of you agree?.

FATWA #7:

it is an excruciatingly ethical obligation of the highest order for people of any religious faith to vote out/remove their leaders known to abuse power, rob the poor, live a life of conspicuous consumption, lie through their army general or sultanic headgear, or siphon money out of the country, or talk about nationalism while engaging in treason … those who still vote for these crooks will experience eternal damnation in hellfire while wearing Tommy Hillfiger, Prada sneakers, and Burberry headgears.

FATWA #8:

it is perfectly fine for men not to grow long beard especially if they are genetically unable to . the length of one’s beard is not a measure of piety nor a necessary symbol of religiosity .. it is merely a fashionable look and a need to look Arabic.

FATWA #9:

it is fine for Muslims to greet others with “Assalamualikum” the more often the better for it simply means “peace be with you …” it is a good cultural experience to exchange greetings in different languages .. Salaam, Shaloom, Namaste, Neehow Ma, Wassup dude, Peace out my man, etc.

FATWA #10:

because truth is contingent upon cultural construction and context, and because it is phenomenological, no one can say that the belief of this or that person is false … to each his own and must be respected … there is therefore no need for any work on proselytizing/dakwah when truth is all encompassing and universal .. the wok of this sort .. spreading this or that message … has led to crusades and religious wars and they should be stopped if more harm than good is going to be done.

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